Rough Day
by Poison Ivy1
Summary: Reyes is having a rough morning and lets it all out.


This is my first story with Doggett & Reyes and no Scully or Mulder,
    
    and my first published XF fic, so it might be really, really bad. 
    
    Please let me know what you think!!
    
    ******************************
    
    8 A.M.
    
    Monica Reyes slowly opened her eyes and looked at her alarm clock. 
    
    "Dammit," she cursed out loud.  She had set the alarm for 6 and now
    
    she'd be late to work, pissing off Kersh - as if he wasn't pissed off
    
    at her enough - and making an embarrassment out of herself, giving her
    
    new co-workers even more to doubt about her.  Her second week on the
    
    x-files was already off to a crappy start.  
    
    She was still in a hotel in Arlington and had found a place she liked
    
    in Georgetown, but hadn't officially bought it yet.  She had wanted to
    
    get a second opinion - John's - but hadn't asked him to look at it
    
    with her yet.  She wasn't sure if she was even going to.  You can't be
    
    mad at him forever, Monica, she told herself.  Despite what happened
    
    in West Virginia, he was still John, her partner and friend.  He was
    
    just being himself but she was sick of the way he'd hardly give even a
    
    thought to her theories.  And ignoring evidence...it wasn't like him
    
    whatsoever.
    
    Reyes showered, brushed her teeth and hair and quickly picked out a
    
    black business blazer, white camisole, knee-length black skirt and
    
    some platforms pumps that were probably considered provocative by many
    
    other agents.  Grabbing her purse, she rushed out the door and stepped
    
    funny on her foot.  "Ow!" she exclaimed, hitting the floor.  Oh yeah,
    
    this definitely sucked.
    
    ******************************
    
    John Doggett checked the clock in the x-files office.  8:30 A.M. 
    
    Monica had thirty minutes to get here before Kersh kicked her ass.  He
    
    had been keeping an even closer watch on them since they had started
    
    their investigation on him.  He didn't want to push Kersh's temper any
    
    further.
    
    Doggett looked up as Monica half-limped/half-ran into the office. 
    
    "Morning," she breathlessly greeted.    
    
    "You okay?" Doggett asked, noticing the limp.
    
    "Yeah, I'm fine," she assured him.
    
    "You sure?" he asked and handed her a cup of coffee.
    
    "Yeah, thanks," she said and attempted to down the coffee in one gulp.
    
     Unfortunately, it was too fast and she ended up spilling half of the
    
    coffee on her blouse.  "Dammit!"
    
    "Hold on," Doggett said and grabbed a handkerchief from the box on his
    
    desk.
    
    "I got it," she said.
    
    "No, let me help," he offered.
    
    "Back off, John, okay?" she yelled.  Immediately realizing her
    
    outburst, she covered her mouth in shock.  "Oh my God...John, I'm so
    
    sorry, I didn't mean to..." 
    
    "It's okay," he told her, albeit brusquely.
    
    "No, you were just trying to help and I went all...I'm so sorry," she
    
    apologized again.  "It's been a rough morning."   
    
    "No kiddin'," he agreed.  "I have some papers for you to sign about
    
    the case and we'll be done." 
    
    "Okay," Reyes said and took the papers.  Thumbing through them, she
    
    frowned.  "This doesn't say a think about what I thought went on."
    
    "Um, yeah," Doggett said uncomfortably.  "I didn't want Kersh to get
    
    even more pissed off at you than he already is."    
    
    "Bullshit," Reyes said and thrust the file back into his hands.
    
    Doggett gaped at her.  "Monica, what the hell is going on?"
    
    "Could you at least get your head out of your ass long enough to
    
    listen to what I'm saying?" she angrily said.
    
    "What??"
    
    "There's not a word in here about what I thought was going on," Reyes
    
    argued.
    
    "Monica, it's your first case on the x-files," Doggett reminded her. 
    
    "Do you really want this to say what you thought?"
    
    "Yes!" Reyes sighed and turned away from him.  "Let them think what
    
    they want, John.  It was my theory, and it made the most sense."  She
    
    turned around to face him.  "You were the one that ignored evidence,
    
    something very unlike you and I can't understand why you did it.  Was
    
    it me or have you still not opened up to the reality that these are
    
    the X-FILES and are not always explained by rationale and set
    
    solutions?"
    
    He tried walking over to her. "Monica..."
    
    "Shut up and let me talk, John," she insisted.  "Tell me something, if
    
    it were Agent Scully proposing the theory that I did, what would you
    
    have said?  Or are you too enamored with her that you would have
    
    looked into it?"
    
    "What the hell is wrong with you?" Doggett demanded and grabbed her
    
    arms.
    
    She shook out of his grasp.  "Nothing's wrong.  You're the one that
    
    called me down here, you're the one that asked me to join the x-files.
    
     I would think that if you needed a partner so desperately, you would
    
    at least listen to what I say.  I'm sick of people constantly throwing
    
    my ideas out the window, not listening to a word I say, treating me
    
    like I'm some sort of flake and that I'm stupid and I don't think
    
    normally and that I..."  She sighed in frustration and sat down in her
    
    chair.  "I'm sick of it."
    
    Doggett let what she said sink in, then slowly sat down in his chair. 
    
    "I can't believe what I'm hearing."
    
    "It's the truth, John, whether you like it or not," she told him.  "I
    
    would think that of all people, you would listen to me.  You've been
    
    on these for a while now and you're easily one of my best friends, so
    
    I guess that's what's so upsetting."
    
    He put his head in his hands and eventually looked up at her.  "You're
    
    right, Monica.  I was being unfair to you.  I've just - " he paused.
    
    "You know me, you've got that weird way of knowing exactly what I'm
    
    thinking and when, but I just can't let myself believe in all of
    
    this."
    
    "Agent Scully eventually did," Reyes reminded him.
    
    "After a long time."
    
    "After an abduction, cancer, numerous times cheating death, Mulder's
    
    disappearance and a pregnancy," she argued.  "Are you going to wait
    
    that long?
    
    "You don't stop, do you?" he asked and smiled.  "I'll admit, I had my
    
    doubts, even after knowing you for years," Doggett told her.  He stood
    
    up and walked over to her chair.  "Your mumbo-jumbo theories, your
    
    ridiculous cheerfulness - "
    
    "Cheerfulness?" she asked and grinned.
    
    "Well, today's an exception," he admitted.  "But you're one of the
    
    best agents I've ever known.  You find something, you go after it. 
    
    You don't stop until you get it.  You're strong, physically and
    
    emotionally," he said and took her hand.  "And I can't think of anyone
    
    else I'd rather be stuck down here with."
    
    Reyes, her eyes brimming with tears, took a deep breath.  "So you're
    
    going to listen to me from now on?"
    
    He grinned.  "Yeah, I'll think about it."
    
    She playfully punched him in the shoulder.  "After all this, you
    
    better."
    
    "I will," he assured her.
    
    "Thanks," she said and stood up.  "So we're okay?"
    
    Doggett nodded.  "I think we will be."
    
    "Okay," Reyes said and smiled.  They stood in silence for a while,
    
    until they hugged each other.  
    
    After breaking apart, Doggett said, "So I understand I'm supposed to
    
    look at a place with you?"
    
    "It's not mandatory, but I'd like a second opinion," she said.
    
    "Where?"
    
    "Um, 67 Bennett Avenue NW."
    
    "Georgetown, huh?" he asked playfully.  "Movin' on up."
    
    "Whatever," she replied and rolled her eyes.
    
    "How about at lunch?" he suggested.  "There's this polish sausage
    
    stand on M street - best in the city, not far from your place - and
    
    maybe we could get some lunch."
    
    "That sounds okay," she agreed.
    
    "Then go get that ankle checked out," he said.  "What did you do,
    
    exactly?"
    
    "Nothing," she insisted.
    
    "Monica..."
    
    She sighed.  "I was running late this morning and I, um, I tripped on
    
    my heels."
    
    Doggett shook his head.  "Women."
    
    "Well, when they're the only shoes I could find when I'm running an
    
    hour late, they were fine."
    
    "Suit yourself."
    
    "Sound medical advice," she said and smiled.  "Hey, thanks.  For
    
    hearing me out."
    
    "Did I have a choice?" he asked.  He sounded so serious, she wanted to
    
    smack him.  Then when he broke into that ridiculous grin, she threw a
    
    pen at him.  "Seriously, Monica, you're welcome.  Anytime."  He turned
    
    back to his computer screen and began retyping the report.
    
    Reyes did the same.  It would take a while, but they would be okay.

Love it? Hate it? Lemme know!!!


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